Page 160 of Sweet Venom

Without thinking, I stepped toward her, grabbed her neck with a firm but careful hand, and pulled her to me. “You’re a wonderful cousin. And all you can do for her is be there. You got to let her sort her shit out.”

Poe’s eyes softened. “Yeah.”

The world slows down. The purple lights blur. And it’s just us at this moment. The concert was forgotten.

I kissed her hard—demanding, desperate, but with an underlying tenderness that only she gets from me. Only ever her.

Her plump lips are warm, softer than I could ever imagine, and I can’t help but pull her closer, feeling her heartbeat against mine. Fuck, she drives me mad. One kiss has me wanting to bend her over with her hands on the glass and fuck her with thousands of people here.

When I pulled back, just enough to catch my breath, I held her gaze. My thumb traced the edge of her jawline as I whispered, my voice low and thick with desire. “I can’t wait to take you home and fuck the shit out of you.”

Poe blinked, dazed, still processing the intensity of the kiss. Her lips part slightly. “Azariel…” she breathed, her voice softer. “What… What was that for?”

I leaned my forehead against hers, my hands still on her, holding her close. “Just making sure you know who you belong to.” My fingers gently brush against her skin, my grip soft but unyielding. “Who has your heart. Who fucks you exactly how you like.”

She stared at me, her cheeks flushed, her breath still a little shaky from the kiss. “You’re insufferable,” she muttered, a smile tugging at her lips. “Like I could ever forget.”

“I don’t know. You were too busy falling in love with the fucker up there.”

“Don’t be jealous. I’m not in love with him,” she said, her voice soft but teasing. “But you? I’mdefinitelyin love with you.”

A rush of warmth spreads through me at her words. Shit. She will never stop feeling like a dream to me. It’s not just the relief that she’s mine—it’s the beautiful truth in her eyes that has me gripping her a little tighter.

I don’t ever want to let go. I won’t. She’s fucked. She’s stuck with me.

“Good,” I muttered. And then I kissed her again, slower this time, claiming her. “Because you’re mine. And I’m not letting go.”

“You better not.”

She smiled wide and so did I. And after that she enjoyed the show until it was time to get home and once there I showed her with my hands and mouth exactly who she belonged to.

Me.

Chapter

Forty-One

HELL’S POETRY

Poe

“She touched me like she owned every broken piece—and she did.” — A

Isat cross-legged in the garden, surrounded by the sweet aroma of blue roses as the soft hum of the morning breeze stirred the leaves around me. Early sunlight filtered through the tall trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The moment felt peaceful—perfect.

The only thing missing was Azariel.

He’d left early for some business in the city, leaving me with the cats. After feeding them and getting a bit of writing done, I decided to step outside for some sunlight and tend to the roses while waiting for him to get back.

My fingers absentmindedly plucked at the blades of grass, but my thoughts were elsewhere. All morning, I’d been thinking about one thing—a dream I had last night.

Or maybe… it wasn’t a dream at all. Maybe it was a memory.

A memory of a teenage me, working on my first book. The first one I ever finished but never let anyone read—except my dad. I was too ashamed at the time. Ashamed of the words, ashamed of how much heart I’d poured into it for someone who never even acknowledged my existence.

So, I left the document buried on my old laptop and never touched it again. I even forgot about it—until last night. I dreamt that Azariel read it. I don’t know why, but it’s been stuck in my mind since I opened my eyes.

Prince meowed at one of the roses like it had personally offended him.

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